Most archives, historical societies, and genealogical societies have special collections and indexes of genealogical value. These must usually be searched in person.

A notable manuscript collection of compiled genealogies for the District of Columbia is in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Library. This collection consists of transcripts of Bible records, cemetery records, church records, marriages, deaths, obituaries, and wills for Washington, D.C. and surrounding states. It was microfilmed in 1971 at the DAR Library and is available on 52 films at the Family History Library (FHL 845766). The volumes are generally arranged by county, and many have individual indexes.

Writing and Sharing Your Family History

Sharing your own family history is valuable for several reasons:

It helps you see gaps in your own research and raises opportunities to find new information.

It helps other researchers progress in researching ancestors you share in common.

It draws other researchers to you who already have information about your family that you do not yet possess.

It draws together researchers with common interests, sparking collaboration opportunities. For instance, researchers in various localities might choose to do lookups for each other in remote repositories. Your readers may also share photos of your ancestors that you have never seen before.